A Week in the Life...
Dear Friend of the Museum,
Last year as we closed down in the midst of the pandemic, we began sending weekly e-news messages to keep you informed about the museum or to share historical information connected to our programs. We have heard from many of you who have enjoyed and appreciated our weekly emails. We appreciate these messages and hope you will continue to let us know how we are doing.
I think you will agree, we are in an amazing moment for our growing organization. The Industrial History Center is nearly complete, we are developing new program plans, and doing all this while we continue our established programs and routines. Our fundraising campaign has been very successful, although we aren’t quite to the finish line. (i.e. It is not too late to make a donation and help us.)
For our message today, I am providing a summary of the week that just past. There always seems to be a lot going on. None of this would be possible without our dedicated volunteers, staff and interested community members – like you. I say - thanks! - to all of you!
As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments and questions.
John Mayer, Executive Director
Jmayer@amesburycarriagemuseum.com
Our past week included –
The Counting House Storefront gallery with the Front Steps exhibit. (Photo by John Mayer.)
Front Steps. People & Community. The exhibit in the Counting House storefront was completed. Last the weekend the storefront gallery was cleaned and painted, and photographs, labels and text panels were installed. The final elements were installed on Monday. And on Wednesday evening, we held an opening on Zoom. If you missed it – you can watch the opening on Youtube – here.
The Amesbury Chamber of Commerce developed the concept in 2020 and photographer Laura Kozlowski made the images. The project provided support for Our Neighbors’ Table. Our goal was to celebrate the people of Amesbury and the way many survived the lockdown.
This exhibit was supported by a 2021 Project Grant from the Mass Cultural Council.
Work on the canopy begins. The crew from Inofab arrived on Tuesday morning and began installing structural pieces. Many holes were drilled to attach the brackets, headers, and anchors needed to secure the 40-foot long by 11-foot wide canopy.
Beginning this Monday, the frame and struts will be installed, and by the end of the week, the canopy will be complete. This is the last major component of the construction project.
Caring for the Collection. A couple months ago we received challenging news that we would need to relocate our collection from our storage area by the end of June. This past week our collection of historic vehicles and artifacts were moved to a temporary storage location. A team of volunteers – with help from Amesbury fire fighters who made a surprise appearance – our collections were moved.
While we have made great strides in the proper care of our collection, clearly there is work to do. Securing a permanent home for this essential part of Amesbury history is now a high priority for the ACM.
Programs and more. We held the 4th Aperture on Amesbury photo tour on Saturday, our video team was on site filming a new episode of the Behind the Scenes series, and we will soon announce our summer series of openings at the IHC.
Thank you for your interest in the Amesbury Carriage Museum. Onward we go!